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Polar Bear [gone]Louisville, KY

Polar BearsRumney, NH

Polar BearWorcester, MA

The Polar Bear in Lousville was installed in front of Zipper Air Conditioning & Heating. The bear originally came from Owensboro, KY but was here for many years. Sometime between 2011 and 2014, the statue disappeared.

The Polar Bear in Worcester is installed on the roof of Polar Beverages' headquarters and production plant. A polar bear named Orson has been the mascot for the company since 1902. This inflatable Orson statue is obviously much more modern. Does anyone know when it was first installed? [map]

Polar BearHouston, TX

This Polar Bear was being painted and installed in front of the Chill Spot Daiquiris To Go when these photos were taken in 2018. The statue was supposedly used in a Super Bowl TV commercial by Coca-Cola. I'm skeptical because I think all of those commercials are animated. Some of the statues features (face, back paw pads, both front paws in bottle-holding position) also seem fairly crude to have been produced by Coca-Cola. [map]

Polar Bear & Cubs [gone]Mesa, AZ

The bronze Polar Bear & Cubs sculpture is about nine feet long. It was created by Dollores Shelledy and installed in Mesa in 2007. It was designed for children to climb on. These photos are from 2012. By 2015, the sculpture was gone. I don't know if it left town or was moved to another spot. There is another casting of this sculpture at Sea World in Orlando, FL.

Polar BearTawas City, MI

Polar BearElmira, NY

Polar BearSpring, TX

This Polar Bear in Tawas City stands in front of the North Star Motel. The bear wears different outfits throughout the year. [map]

The Polar Bear in Elmira stands on the roof of the Maple Lawn Dairy Bar. They opened in 1962 with a giant metal ice cream cone sign on the roof. The bear is dressed in various outfits throughout the year. [map]

The Polar Bear in Spring is installed in front of Conroe Taxidermy. The fiberglass statue was built in 1989. [map]

Polar BearLa Crosse, WI(now Onalaska, WI)

Polar BearHomewood, IL

Polar Bears [gone]White Bear Lake, MN

The Polar Bear in La Crosse was installed on the roof of Paul's Heating & Air Conditioning. The store also had a polar bear and seal in the window that were taxidermied after an Alaskan hunt in 1971. This photo was taken in 2007. In 2010, the store moved to Onalaska, WI. The bear is now displayed there on top of the store's sign. [map]

This Polar Bear in Homewood is located on someone's front lawn. This photo is from 2009. I didn't make note of the address so I don't know if it is still there. Does anyone know where it's located?

These Polar Bears in White Bear Lake were installed in front of the Twin City Nursery. This photo is from 2011. The business closed in 2014 and the statues were removed. I believe they were sold so they may reappear somewhere.

Polar ChevroletWhite Bear Lake, MN

Polar Chevrolet features a 35 foot tall polar bear statue. The fiberglass and steel bear was installed in 1964. The artist that created him, Gordon Shumaker, is also responsible for other giant statues in Minnesota including the Smokey Bear in International Falls, the Big Ole Viking in Alexandria, the Gopher at the St. Paul Fairgrounds, and the Bluegill in Orr. This polar bear statue weighs several tons. It was originally installed on a post in front of the dealership which was then known as Thane-Hawkins Chevrolet. The statue was a frequent target of local kids who shot arrows at it. To discourage this practice, the dealership moved it to the roof in 1971. However, the statue moved a bit in high winds which caused concern. Therefore, the statue was moved to a new post in 1986. The bear wore painted-on swimming trunks of different designs from around 1986-2004. The statue also wore sunglasses for awhile. During a period of road construction, the statue wore a hard hat and tool belt. The smiling bear has remained white and unadorned in recent years. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

Commercial CasinoElko, NV

The Commercial Casino features two giant polar bear statues, one over each entrance. The statues are at least 18 feet tall. Neon tubing behind the bears illuminates them at night. Old postcards reveal that at least one of these statues wore a cowboy hat and bandanna. There appeared to be a pipe or a gun in one of his paws. The inspiration for these statues is the taxidermied polar bear located inside the casino (first photo above). At just over ten feet tall, the Alaskan bear "White King" was believed to be the world's largest polar bear. The bear was shot, stuffed and displayed at Jonas Furs in Denver, CO before the casino purchased him in 1958. The bear was put in the casino's coffee shop where it remains today. When the casino first bought the bear, it was promoted with a giant billboard across the street which depicted the bear. Around 1959, an additional polar bear sign was installed above the billboard. The bear part of the sign was about 30 feet tall and might have been accented with neon. That sign seems to have disappeared sometime in the 1960s. Today's statues were probably installed in the 1960s or 1970s. They are repainted every couple of years because they are popular bird perches. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

These 5 1/2 feet tall plaster Polar Bears were created in 1930 for Polar Bear Frozen Custard shops. The buildings icy exteriors were embedded with mirrored glass for a glittering appearance. There was a location in Washington, DC which was demolished in the early 1980s. There was also another location in Wichita, KS. I don't know where the chain was first established or how many locations there were. However, the majority of remaining polar bear statues are in Tennessee.

The statues shown above were installed in front of a residence on Edgehill Ave. in the 1940s. In 2005, they were moved to this new spot in the neighborhood, now officially known as the "Edgehill Polar Bear Plaza". There are reports of two other Polar Bears like this in Nashville - one might be the one described below. Does anyone know where the fourth might be? [map]

Polar BearNashville, TN

Polar BearJackson, TN

Polar BearMiddleton, TN

This Polar Bear in Nashville is another example of the custard shop bears described above. This one is in front of a residence and is now missing an arm. [map]

This Polar Bear in Jackson now functions as a mailbox at the Fireplace Center. [map]

These Polar Bears in Middleton are installed in front of the police station. [map]

Polar BearsMemphis, TN

This pair of Polar Bears is installed in front of the Happy Hocker pawn shop. There was originally a Polar Bear Frozen Custard shop here. At some point later, it became the Fairview Drive Inn. The drive-in closed sometime after the 1990s. [map]

Polar BearsMemphis, TN

This pair of Polar Bears stands in front of Java Juice & Jazz. At some point after 2007, they were moved here from across the street. But before that, I don't know where these bears were located. [map]

Polar BearsTunica, MS

Polar BearsMemphis, TN

Polar BearSpringfield, MO

The Polar Bears in Tunica have been standing in front of Happy Daze since they opened around 1993. These statues came from St. Louis. In 2014, these statues had painted on swim trunks. The snowballs were also painted different colors. [map]

The third pair of Polar Bears in Memphis is at a Dixie Queen Hamburgers location. [map]

The Polar Bear in Springfield is installed on the roof of McDaniel Furs. The statue was originally located at an ice cream store in Springfield. It is believed that the statue was moved to McDaniel Furs around 1947 when Taylor's Drive-in replaced the ice cream store. It has been the furrier's mascot since then. The statue was originally installed in the parking lot. It was moved to the roof in the late 1970s to prevent it from being vandalized or stolen. [map]

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Tips & Updates. If you have suggestions about places that I haven't covered, historical info, or updates about places/things that have been remodeled or removed, I'd love to hear from you: roadarch@outlook.com.